1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to a high density interconnect between a printed circuit board and a multi-conductor cable having socket contacts within a mating plug. The connector has a right-angled connection to the printed circuit board and pin contacts matable with socket contacts in the mating plug assembly.
2. Prior Art
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,894 to Kinkaid a right-angled connector for mounting on a printed circuit board and for interconnection to a matable plug. This connector however doesn't allow for high-density interconnections in that there is only a single row of contacts mounted to the printed circuit board. If the contacts cannot be stacked vertically from the printed circuit board, more real estate on the printed circuit board is required for interconnections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,988 to Kobler FIG. 10, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,654 FIG. 3 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,209 FIG. 1, to Hughes shows an alternate design for staggering contacts in order to increase the use of printed circuit board space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,376 to Gladd et al. shows a right-angled mount connector for mounting on a printed circuit board having solid pin contacts wherein two pins are laterally aligned within the connector, one above the other, each pin then bent downwardly for interconnection to the printed circuit board. In Gladd however, the pins have lateral projections which skive the interior cavity walls upon insertion, and embed within the walls. Thus, the pin contacts have no means for being accurately placed within the cavities. Also, once in place, it is difficult to maintain the pin contacts in a fixed axial position, as the contacts have no positive stops.
In Gladd et al, the pin contacts are bent downwardly into longitudinal slots for receipt into detents. Using detents for the placement of the pin contacts allows the contacts to move with the respective slots, becoming misaligned with respect to the printed circuit board.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,428 to Zak an electrical connector having a locking lance for locking two mating electrical terminals 104, 106 within housing halves 100, 102, respectively. However in Zak, the housing halves are not two piece, therefore because of molding limitations the slots 50, 52 can only be one diameter or increasing in diameter as the slot progresses outwardly towards the front face of the housings. To prevent the terminals from being pulled out, a fixed tab 118, 124 is includable on each of the terminals, lying outside of the envelope of the terminal body portion which rests on internal tapered seats 144, 156 within the cavities. This type of terminal could not be utilized in an application where the terminal must be inserted through a sealing grommet, as the insertion of the terminal would tear the grommet apertures upon insertion therethrough.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,399 a socket contact 1 locked within a two piece housing, although to prevent the terminal from being pulled outwardly through the front face of the housing, a crimped bead 16 in includable on the rearward portion of the contact. Therefore, this contact could not be used in an application where sealing is required as the bead 16 would tear or stretch a sealing aperture through which the terminal is being placed. Furthermore, the socket ends 7,8 could not be utilized to bear against the backside of the forward mounting plate, as the force against the backside surface would be detrimental to the effectiveness of the contacts' resiliency.